In case you were wondering, some of the parts to make my groovy Rough Riders were sculpted by Rob at Curious Constructs.

Thursday, 30 August 2012

Medusa V: The Lost Magistratus

Not all of the civilians made it off Medusa V when the storm came. It was assumed that they were killed. They were, but they didn't stay dead!

I finally went and brought a copy of 6th ed from
my GW and I was dying to give it a go, so I thought a small solo game was in
order. I also wanted to try out Spyrle’s
custom solo mission, but in the end I ignored a few rules (+2 attacks to
traitors on the charge, the ‘They came from the warp’ rules, and the ‘traitors must fire first’ rule). It wasn’t
that I didn’t like them, but I could see with the force that I had put together
those additions would have made it too one sided. Really I wanted to see how 6th
played out with two matched infantry armies and there was enough other stuff
to try and remember! All the other rules in the scenario worked really well, so
I may give it a full go another time.

The story:

On arriving in low orbit around Medusa V, Major Holtman of the 1st Expeditionary Regiment of foot (Imperial Navy) was ordered to lead a surface night-time raid from the Grand Cruiser Praetoriae Vindictam to Johanne's Island.

After the ‘Rapidity’ contracted, many imperial teams were sent to the surface. One of these teams was an administration group (Gamma-Epsilon 7) that wanted to survey the planet to log the wealth and recourses that would be recoverable in the storms window. Gamma-Epsilon 7 has been missing for several days now, but 28 minutes ago an SOS message was received from the ruined Administratum building 12km south east of the teams last known position on Johanne's Island. Major Holtman has been ordered to shuttle to the surface with 2 platoons and conduct a quick recon of the area and recover any members of Gamma-Epsilon 7 that are found.

Holtman was chosen as he not only was deployed to Johanne's Island in the original Fall of Medusa V, but he spent more time on the planet surface than any other officer in the regiment. Holtman suspects that he was actually chosen because of the stories about him. His Company took part in 25 battles of the original campaign, of which they won 21. Glorious stories are told about the company and the ‘old man’ that lead them. Holtmans suspect that the new regiments CO, Col. Cromwell, wants to see if the ‘old man’ can live up to the stories and again be the ‘Hero of Medusa V’. Truthfully, he would rather sit this one out and have his boys live longer. But he is no coward. To spare a few of his men from returning to that hell immediately, a platoon of the 40th Praetorian Line will accompany his first platoon- Emperor knows they are itching for action and their share of glory and death.

(for these I used the apocalypse data sheet
rules. I was going to use the Siege of Vraks rules but I personally like the apocalypse zombies better.)

= 655 P

The brief pictorial battle report:

Just before I started I decided that really it would be better to have the Storm Troopers infiltrate.

First Blood- But the night fighting rules really made it tough to make those kills.

Two Grenades were enough to take out Squad 2 (flamer squad).

Fire on my target cut down a few cover saves.

The Gunned up Vet squad was really the star of the Traitor force.

I couldn't believe they made so many saves! I did lay 84 shots into them!

Only 4 traitors and 27 zombies left against a still strong Imperial force.

With the blob squad gone the Zombies moved in...

After the assault was over, the 40th platoon command squad moved away from the carnage but lobbed 4 grenades back at the zombies to soften them up. An (un)lucky grenade scattered into the Major's close combat!!

It killed 2 traitors giving the major the edge again...

In the apocalypse rules all casualties from zombie close combat turn into zombies on a roll of 6.

The squad cant keep running away...

4 Zombies left on the other side of the ruins.

Some how the young 2nd lieutenant killed a zombie and avoided being bitten. Then the zombies failed even with a brainless leadership of 10!

Wow. How did that happen?

On the traitor side, the Vets were the strongest unit killing more than half of the Imperial force before being wiped out.

If Major Holtman had been killed I would have retired the miniature. It would have been a fitting end to the old man that once was the hero of Medusa V. But in true Hollywood style- He lives to fight another day! Somehow I think there will be more danger for him to come...

Thanks guys, That well placed demo charge changed the whole game! I'm glad you enjoyed it all too! I really wouldn't have minded it if the zombies had killed them all but a few survivors made it out to tell the tail (like a true B grade horror).

Yes, both the Traitors and Zombies are from Wargames Factory. I will post up a few better pics of them later. I got the zombies back when they were first released a few years ago. Really good fun to make and paint, but I only got around to finishing the first 30. After pulling them out for this I think I might have to go back and do some more! I brought about two hundred of them and they ended up costing me less then 30(Ausy)cents each -even with postage. It was a release sale from memory.